Recruitment Warriors 2026/2027 Recruitment & Retention

Warriors 2026/2027 Recruitment and Retention Discussion​

Player	2026​	2027​	2028​	2029​	2030​
Grant Anderson	-​	✔​	✔​	✔​
Mitchell Barnett	✔​	​
Rocco Berry	✔​
Tanah Boyd	✔​
Kurt Capewell	✔​
Erin Clark	✔​	✔​	✔​	✔​
Wayde Egan	✔​	✔​
Kayliss Fatialofa	✔​	✔​
James Fisher-Harris	✔​	✔​	✔​
Jackson Ford	✔​	✔​
Morgan Gannon	✔​	✔​	✔​
Leka Halasima	✔​	✔​	✔​	✔​
Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔​
Sam Healey	✔​	✔​
Eddie Ieremia-Toeava	✔​	✔​	✔​
Alofiana Khan-Pereira	✔​	✔​	✔​
Jacob Laban	✔​	✔​	✔​	✔​
Ali Leiataua	✔​	✔​
Jye Linnane	✔​	✔​	✔​
Te Maire Martin	✔​
Haizyn Mellars	✔​	✔​	✔​
Luke Metcalf	✔​	✔​	✔​
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔​	✔​
Marata Niukore	✔​
Adam Pompey	✔​	✔​
Tanner Stowers-Smith	✔​	✔​	✔​
Taine Tuaupiki	✔​	✔​	✔​
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔​
Demitric Vaimauga	✔​	✔​	✔​
William Warbrick	-​	✔​	✔​	✔​
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔​	M​
Connor Bowden	U​	U​	✔​
Jett Cleary	S​	U​
Sio Kali	U​
Braelan Marsh	U​	U​	U​
Motu Pasikala	U​	U​

✔ = Signed to Top 30, C = Club option, M = Mutual Option, P = Player option, S = Signed to supplementary list, U = Unclear

2026 Top 30: 29/30
2026 Supplementary: 2/6

2027 Top 30: 22/30
2027 Supplementary: 0/6

2027 Gains: Grant Anderson (Brisbane Broncos), William Warbrick (Melbourne Storm)
2027 Losses: Mitchell Barnett (Brisbane Broncos), Marata Niukore (Newcastle Knights), Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (Wakefield Trinity)

Off contract and free to sign elsewhere for 2027: Rocco Berry, Tanah Boyd, Kurt Capewell, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Te Maire Martin
Will be off contract and free to sign elsewhere for 2028 from November 1st, 2026: Jett Cleary, Wayde Egan, Kayliss Fatialofa, Jackson Ford, Sam Healey, Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, Ali Leiataua, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Motu Pasikala, Adam Pompey, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak

 

[CWC]

Buy low sell high, a bold strategy.

We used to buy high and sell low, also bold.

It's a bold strategy Cotton....

 

[Fizurg]

It's a bold strategy Cotton....

I'm not sure if i imagined it. But I'm sure one of the NRL commentators recently mentioned "if you can dodge a spanner you can dodge a ball"

 

[Spence]

Verhoeven is pushed to the wing in QLD Cup behind Quai-Ward and Grant Anderson, so hopefully that makes it a bit easier for the Bronx to let him go.

 

[Horriors2013]

I think we do. If we are building long term plans around these signings, the compassionate releases ruin years of careful planning. The fact that we've been able to find suitable replacements in the past (CNK for Walsh and JFH for AFB) doesn't change that fact. The fact that we are developing junior platforms also softens the blow I guess.

I think we're not worried because we'll soon be 100% local players.

 

[Cces]

Verhoeven, Arthars & also Warbrick seems like an overkill of outside backs

 

[Canonball]

Verhoeven, Arthars & also Warbrick seems like an overkill of outside backs

Banking on a squad expansion?

 

[Theking267]

Verhoeven, Arthars & also Warbrick seems like an overkill of outside backs

Add to that Mellars and Khan-Perreira and it’s even more excessive

 

[JustVisiting82]

Arthars is off contract. They can't offer him unless they want Barnett in 2026.

They could offer to release Arthars to us this year in exchange for us releasing Barnett to them next year. It would weaken their depth for the season but considering he's not currently making the top side they might have considered it worth it.

(Not saying I want this to happen, it would be a hot hum signing for me)

 

[Horriors2013]

By this point the current regime has probably worked out that you can sign aussies for 3+ year deals and let Webby turn them into stars, then announce their compassionate release to get star kiwis who want to return home to call HQ, we've clearly progressed to using the player to do a direct swap which was an idea dismissed here forever

I'd take the dutch/kiwi teen and Arthurs, who I thought played well during covid, and imagine Webby makes him level up to career best form in our weakest position? doesn't get injured all the time either.

I hope it works out, Mage is the coach and Barney loves us. Interesting the pre-game show on Fox tonight the reporter at Brisbane was throwing out names other than the kiwi teen - Staggs, Arthurs, Mariner, Riki. Key take away is the way they are discussing right now they've gone past the IF player swap will happen stage to the WHO will be swapped stage

And like those supreme court cases this might become our landmark case and standard practice for future compassionate releases, if it happens we need to build a statue for Barney at Mt Smart

Mariner would be a dream. Katapani is good. Arthur's is good. Verhoeven is a no for me. Not good enough.

 

[Blain]

Verhoeven, Arthars & also Warbrick seems like an overkill of outside backs

Wouldn't if DWZ and RTS are not here next year. I'm not an Arthurs guy to be honest, I don't think he offers as much upside as Warbrick or a developed AKP.. He's 28 next year lets not forget.

Don't think we need wingers or back rowers TBH, I would go for the young centre. Ali is not looking up for it ATM (please prove me wrong!!).

 

[Horriors2013]

They could offer to release Arthars to us this year in exchange for us releasing Barnett to them next year. It would weaken their depth for the season but considering he's not currently making the top side they might have considered it worth it.

(Not saying I want this to happen, it would be a hot hum signing for me)

I'd accept that.

 

[Neo]

Wouldn't if DWZ and RTS are not here next year. I'm not an Arthurs guy to be honest, I don't think he offers as much upside as Warbrick or a developed AKP.. He's 28 next year lets not forget.

Don't think we need wingers or back rowers TBH, I would go for the young centre. Ali is not looking up for it ATM (please prove me wrong!!).

Arthars is playing centre in Q Cup at the moment

 

[sup42]

I saw a bit of Verhoeven playing mal meninga cup for the bears a couple of years ago- stuck out like a sore thumb- not sure how he's
progressed since then.
They can keep arthars.....
Bit disappointed barneys going to the broncos because I cant stand them but looking at his options it must've been a pretty easy choice to make tbh.

I was looking at some highlights from the Mal cup, oh my word he can step and move like a Gazelle for a Inglis height guy eh, he is actually a little taller than G.I.

Edit:

Check this shit out people! Anyone can see he just has 'ít'

View: https://youtu.be/B7UcfGXzaOc?si=byb4ilj-3kaEKMRG

 

[defensivebomb]

I think the club is overcoming the living-in-NZ unknown hurdle by allowing compassionate releases.

That way, they are able to access talent that would otherwise not be open to moving to NZ. If we stuck to our guns, we wouldn’t even get a look in for some players.

The cost to our policy is that we lose a few. It probably also means we don’t dust our cap by paying overs. We pay market, and we understand if a move to NZ doesn’t work out for you

 

[Horriors2013]

I was looking at some highlights from the Mal cup, oh my word he can step and move like a Gazelle for a Inglis height guy eh, he is actually a little taller than G.I.

Edit:

Check this shit out people! Anyone can see he just has 'ít'

View: https://youtu.be/B7UcfGXzaOc?si=byb4ilj-3kaEKMRG

Ok change my mind! Sign him up That’s a young Greg Inglis. Uncanny resemblance. The running style is replica.

 

[sup42]

Ok change my mind! Sign him up That’s a young Greg Inglis. Uncanny resemblance. The running style is replica.

I know right, I was like Verhoe....ver....verWHO?

Then shit, oh ooo snap....this giant can fully move out....oops...(started praying to my Cappy Idol).

 

[Hitro]

I know right, I was like Verhoe....ver....verWHO?

Then shit, oh ooo snap....this giant can fully move out....oops...(started praying to my Cappy Idol).

I'd be feeling a bit shortchanged if it was just Arthurs coming back this way. only got 1 year left on his contract and nowhere near the level of barney. But this Nio kid and Arthurs feels somewhat like a fair trade.

I see fox / courier mail are reporting we are looking at Billy Walters (doesn't seem right), Deine Mariner (apparently his family doesn't like us), Tom Duffy ( another aussie half?!) or Jordan Riki.

Cappy loves a 2nd rower, so maybe Riki has some legs to it but why when we are stacked in 2nd rowers.



Not sure how it works for Verhoeven if he doesn't want to leave Broncos. He only just signed, not sure if we had a run at him before the broncos did. From the same school as TSS in Chch

 

[Canonball]

I know right, I was like Verhoe....ver....verWHO?

Then shit, oh ooo snap....this giant can fully move out....oops...(started praying to my Cappy Idol).

Him, Tia, Ali (when he gets going) plus linnane ?... pretty good

 

[WAH MAN]

Verhoeven, Arthars & also Warbrick seems like an overkill of outside backs

Our injury rates to our outside backs in the last couple of years warrants this overkill approach in my opinion

 

[Fizurg]

Players are released by all the clubs regularly. Barnett has been an amazing player for the club, its only the last year of his contract and he seems to have a genuine reason to be released. The fact that the club is getting anything is pretty good.